Rain water or thief being a jerk

[livemusic]

I have a Coleman maxa 5000 generator with a Tecumseh 10 horsepower motor. I recently left it a few days in my pasture. A thief stole the gas, left fuel line undone, also left his knife. Also stole gas out of my logsplitter. I hauled my gen out of there. I noted that there was still a bit of gas (I assumed gas!) in the tank, which I thought was odd but what a dummy, I added some gas because I needed to use the gen soon thereafter. Would not start and been running great. I finally suspected water in gas and confirmed it was. Drained best I could and got it running. After he stole the gas, did the thief dump water in the tank? Or can rain water enter through the muffler vent holes? I can't see how that much rain could get in thru the tiny vent hole atop the gas cap. BTW my pasture has locked gate. I assume it was a local who climbed the gate or fence at night.

We might have had a brief heavy rain at the pasture. I got one inch in town.

Another question... see the rubber tubing going from the air filter housing to the engine... what is this called? I have ideas but unsure. Can I buy a piece at a hardware store or must I buy the exact part. I note it is cracked, dry rotted at the bend. TIA!

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[sledneck22]

[QUOTE="
Another question... see the rubber tubing going from the air filter housing to the engine... what is this called? I have ideas but unsure. Can I buy a piece at a hardware store or must I buy the exact part. I note it is cracked, dry rotted at the bend.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk[/QUOTE]

That's just a breather tube. I would replace with something from the hardware store. It's for positive crankcase ventilation.
On a yamaha snowmobile I made a custom turbo setup for, I replaced my breather tube with a little air filter as my airbox was turned into an intercooler and didn't want to reroute the breather tube to the air filter at the rear of the sled.

 

[Stihl036]

That line looks like the crankcase vent tube. It looks like regular fuel line and should be easy to replace. Any air entering through a cracked line would allow unfiltered air into the carb.

 

[SimonHS]

Was it yellow water? Maybe the lowlife pi55ed in it?

 

[Junk Meister]

Was it yellow water? Maybe the lowlife pi55ed in it?

That crossed my mind as well.

 

[livemusic]

Was it yellow water? Maybe the lowlife pi55ed in it?

Wow, I actually think you nailed it! When I discovered the water, I noted that I had to look hard to see the gasoline/water contact line. Look hard because there was little difference in color! And I could not figure out why a thief would have water on his person. Beer, maybe, but not water. And now you've said what you did, it makes sense he'd leave a parting shot of pee. He wouldn't pour his beer in there. People are jerks. Sure would love to know if it's someone who knows me. I don't make enemies but there are a hill full of lowlifes in that area. I had just told me gf that very thing not a week before that when she remarked how pretty a place it is.

 

[JugHead27]

Wow, I actually think you nailed it! When I discovered the water, I noted that I had to look hard to see the gasoline/water contact line. Look hard because there was little difference in color! And I could not figure out why a thief would have water on his person. Beer, maybe, but not water. And now you've said what you did, it makes sense he'd leave a parting shot of pee. He wouldn't pour his beer in there. People are jerks. Sure would love to know if it's someone who knows me. I don't make enemies but there are a hill full of lowlifes in that area. I had just told me gf that very thing not a week before that when she remarked how pretty a place it is.

If it was indeed pithed in I suspect it was probably teenagers, if not, meth head junkie, can’t see a junkie wasting any time for anything other than his fix

 

[Czed]

Probably ethanol that broke down in the gas
I cleaned my generator fuel tank
And got about a cup of trash residue out of it.

 

[livemusic]

I use e-free gas.

 

[Agr516]

Does it have a plastic fuel tank on it? Could be condensation forming inside the tank while left out in the sun. Plastic tanks left in the sun will produce water.

 

[Mad Professor]

You need to put out piece(s) of junk equipment out in the field as bait, covered with a game camera. Put some stale gas mixed with sugar in the tanks.